Chapter 7: The Candle on the Cake
Once the gate clicked shut, the heavy tension in the backyard broke like a fever.
I took a shaky breath, my knees suddenly feeling weak now that the adrenaline was fading. Before I could stumble, Clark’s hand gently caught my elbow, steadying me.
"You okay?" he asked softly, his sharp investigator persona melting back into the warmth I had seen before the party started.
"I think I'm finally okay," I whispered.
I turned to my guests. A few of the neighborhood parents looked embarrassed, unsure whether to pack up their kids and leave. I wasn't going to let Jordan's scandal steal one more memory from my family.
"Alright, everyone!" I called out, forcing a bright, genuine smile to my face. "The entertainment is over, but the burgers are still hot and we have a giant ice cream cake in the freezer. Who's hungry?"
A beat of silence passed before one of Toby’s friends let out a cheer, and just like that, the music clicked back on and the kids jumped back into the pool.
Later that evening, after the cake was cut and the candles were blown out, I found Toby sitting alone on the edge of the diving board, his feet dangling in the blue water. I sat down next to him, my shoulder brushing against his.
"I'm sorry about today, honey," I said quietly. "You didn't deserve to see that."
May you like
Toby looked at me, his eyes surprisingly clear. "I'm not sorry, Mom. He told me last week that you were weak and that you'd fall apart without him." He leaned over and rested his head against my shoulder. "You aren't weak at all. You're the strongest person I know."
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, but for the first time in over a year, they were tears of pride, not grief.
